“Afghan Rules Need Changes”

Before Gen. Stanley McChrystal made the fatal mistake of venting to Rolling Stone magazine, warriors in Afghanistan say he was guilty of an even a bigger blunder.

The four-star general put in place a series of restrictions on troops in the form of new rules of engagement (ROE). War fighters complain the rules have prevented them from taking on the Taliban full-bore in some instances, and have contributed to the enemy’s resurgence. For their part, the Taliban has read the ROE and know how to exploit them.

Gen. David Petraeus, tapped to replace McChrystal after President Obama fired him last week, vowed Tuesday to take a hard look at the rules which came in “tactical directives” from McChrystal to unit commanders.

In a message to troops and their families who believe the ROE have led to unneeded battlefield defeats and deaths, Petraeus pledged before the Senate Armed Services Committee that he will “look very hard” at the restrictions. He offered no specific changes.